Student-centered instruction incorporating authentic assessments can provide an alternative instructional model. Student-centered instruction generally requires learners to take on alternate roles such as that of historian, advocate or op-ed writer in order to complete a project. It is often both collaborative and constructivist in nature. In collaborative learning environments, group members identify the individual tasks and procedures required to complete an investigation or project, summarizing the work on a timeline that shows when each step must be completed. An ever-increasing array of Internet tools can help students tackle such projects by facilitating interaction, communication, and planning--and by allowing learners to present information effectively through multimedia products. Use of such tools can enhance motivation as well as provide opportunities for authentic assessment of student learning. In this article, the authors describe a variety of Web 2.0 tools that they have used as teacher educators and have seen effectively used by teachers in K-12 classrooms. They explain how these tools have helped students create knowledge to meet expected social studies outcomes while working together to investigate complex themes through the application of higher-order thinking skills. (Contains 10 notes.)